Is Jesus Lord?

Introduction

Why do Christians preach the Gospel? I can think of two reasons: It is the explicit command of our Lord that we do so (Mark 16:15); and we are burdened by the fact that an eternal destiny awaits all humanity (Revelation 20:13; cf. Daniel 7:22). The destiny of those who rightly respond to the Gospel is an eternity in the loving arms of our Creator (John 14:1-3). But for those who reject the Gospel, there is only hopelessness and incarceration in Hell (Psalms 9:17): Which is some place (its whereabouts unbeknown to mankind) that is outside of our Creator’s love. If this sounds like old-time fire and brimstone preaching, you are right, it is. But this does not change the fact that it is true: the Word of God is truth and what is stated above came right out of the pages of the Bible.

Stark Reality

While the Bible is a message of God’s love and grace (cf. Psalms 19:41), this is unequivocally based on the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of sinners (John 15:13). Christ satisfied God’s righteous judgment for those who would believe the Gospel, so that they are no longer doomed to suffer His wrath. As pointed out by Dr. Lightner: "Christ's accomplishment on the cross was his substitution for sin and sinners...the Son of God died in the place of sinners...in the sinner's place and stead...the substitution holds true, whether or not anyone ever appropriates the benefits" (Robert P. Lightner: "Handbook of Evangelical Theology;" Kregel Publications, 1995, p., 88). In spite of this, for the unbeliever (those that never "appropriates the benefits"), a day of reckoning is due at the end of which God will cast out all evil—including the unbeliever—from His presence into a fiery abode (Revelation 20:10; cf. Romans 2:5).

Why is this harsh end coming upon the unbeliever? It is because they—though conscience of the fact that they are sinners (Romans 1:32; cf. Genesis 3:22) by nature and practice—refuse to repent of their unbelief in the Gospel message and they willingly reject the free redemption from sin and God’s offer of reconciliation, which Christ’s death has afforded to them: "The purchase price of [H]is blood was paid even for the false prophets and teachers who deny the only possible thing that can save them" (Lightner, p., 194). God gives to them the same opportunity to accept His message of love and grace as He gave to those that heard it and believed it. This is truly evil: the unbeliever's rejection the of message is also a rejection of the One whose blood was spilled on the Cross for their benefit!    

The Apostle John, speaking of Christ’s work says, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Obviously, John is making the point that when Lord Jesus died upon the Cross, He not only paid the debt owed to God for sin, but also took away the guilt of the whole world with regard to sin: "The death of Christ satisfies the righteous demand of the Father. Because of sin [H]is holiness has been offended...only a sinless sacrifice could meet [H]is righteous demands...Christ...provided in [H]imself the perfect sacrifice" (ibid, p., 195). John is also making a clear contrast of the believer and unbeliever. While God through Christ has opened the way for everyone to be righteous in His sight, there is a "whole world" that will never come to experience "our" benefits from the Cross.

However, sin can never exclude an individual from coming to God. Because of the Cross of Christ “whosoever” believes can approach God in repentance and be saved! Therefore, no one need be judged of God because of their sins, if they accept the work of Christ on their behalf. That is the extent of the “propitiation” mentioned here.

Why then is it that the entire world is not reconciled to God? Why is it that some, though the guilt of sin having already been removed and settled for on the Cross, are living in estrangement and hostility toward the God who loves them and who seeks after them? Why is it that so many of our race are still defying God, blaspheming God and turning and running from Him instead of towards Him? Why are they knowingly embracing death and darkness and not desiring light and life?

The answer: They will never believe in Him, because they prefer to believe in themselves; they think it degrading to their self-perceived, self-righteousness to accept forgiveness from Him (Matthew 9:13). While God has offered forgiveness to them by the only means that can infinitely and eternally satisfy His nature (i.e., justice, love, holiness, etc.) they can never accept this (Matthew 26:28). It is this rebel attitude against the Creator that must be swept from creation (2 Peter 3:10-13), because it is the root of sin and left unchecked it will forever lift its grotesque face to cause evil and incite others to evil.

So then there are two sides to the Gospel message: On one side it benefits those who believe unto salvation; on the other it brings to the surface and displays the unchanging hatred of God and His Christ, which intrinsically exists in the hearts of those who will not believe (Hebrews 2:12) and dooms them to hell.

Future Eternal Hope For All?

Contrary to what has been presented above, Universalism teaches that all people—regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual ethics—will eventually be saved through the atonement of Jesus. It maintains that the Bible teaches that God wants all men to be saved, therefore all “all roads” lead to some higher being who will save all of humanity. It denies the eternal nature of hell as conscious punishment of the lost. The most prominent verses appealed to by Universalist to support their position are:

1 Timothy 2:3-4: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

However, we do not make doctrine from verses taken out of context: we must consider all of God’s counsel. When we do this we know that Universalism cannot be true. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 25:46, speaking of those present on earth at the time He sets up His Kingdom, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Also He says, “all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:28-29). Notice, verse 28, says that all sins shall be forgiven, then in verse 29, He clarifies His statement and flatly says that there is a sin that is “eternal sin,” which cannot be forgiven. Finally, John the Apostle writes, “the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10-15).

Nevertheless, Universalism still claims that the verses shown at the beginning of this section are strong evidence that God will save all people. However, a closer look at Scripture clearly proves that Timothy 2:3-4, in fact does not say that God will save all people: it simply states that God desires or is willing that all people be saved.

As shown in Scripture, while God is willing that all people be saved not all people are willing to be saved. Similarly, God wants people not to sin. Do people sin? Of course we do. And some will face judgment for their sins (those not justified by faith in Christ) and fall under the condemnation of God. Likewise, God does not want anyone to go into eternal condemnation: “As I live!” Declares the Lord GOD, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn back, turn back from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11). But will some—“the wicked”—perish into eternal separation from God? Yes, because God punishes the sinner who is not covered in the blood of Christ: “he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Again, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, does not prove that God will save all of mankind and the same arguments used to present the case against Universalism in these verses apply to 2 Peter 3:9, too.

Conclusion

The point of all this is merely to show that there are those who will believe and those who will not. No one but God knows into which group any human will fall. And we as Christians should never be caught second-guessing the eternal destiny of anyone, but we should instead obey our Lord’s command to the take the Gospel to the “whole world.” God has chosen the Christian as the messenger of His grace: “the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21; emphasis mine). It is only by following this great commission that the “whosoevers” that are out there can come to faith in the risen Christ!

If you are saved you need to consider this question: Why am I here? The answer, you will find, is that God has placed you here, in your own time, to be a minister of the Reconciliation. And in this sense, being a Gospel preacher, not only shows you are Christian, but also gives you one strong reason of why you are a Christian.

The "Meaning" of Christian

Introduction

As the prophet Jonah says, “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). And this is also true of all the Bible writers, who unanimously concur that every aspect of this great work is left entirely to God. The message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ as Savior discloses the full measure of God’s love (1 John 4:10). Salvation is God’s loving work on behalf of fallen humanity and it is, therefore, never the work of men on behalf of God.

Salvation, as revealed in God’s Word of truth—the Bible—represents nothing less than the complete mighty working of God, by which He rescues mankind from the eternal doom of sin and bestows upon mankind the full richness of His grace; and for those who believe, eternal life now and eternal glory in heaven. This work that He has so graciously undertaken saves us from the penalty of sin, which is death in all of its terrible aspects: physical death, spiritual death and the dreaded second death.

Sin is Sin

With this stated, any believer—in obedience to Christ’s command—who would take up the cause of proclaiming God’s love must ever be mindful of the fact that sin is always equally sinful, no matter how trivial the offense may seem to some. Every sin is blatantly sinful because all sin outrages the holy righteousness of our just Creator. And because He is just, mere leniency in the remitting of the penalty of sin is not an option.

God does not deal with sin through mercy or leniency. The sinner is never forgiven because God is big-hearted enough to remit the penalty or to waive the righteous judgment. Any presentation of divine forgiveness which represents God as directly exercising clemency toward a sinner is a fatal detraction from the meaning of the Cross of Christ and is a disastrous misrepresentation of the truth contained in the Gospel of His saving grace.

Indeed, a price must be paid (Hebrews 9:1-14; cf. Leviticus 17:11): a price that we thankfully need not pay; in fact we can never pay it. If the penalty is to be paid, God must pay the price. He accomplishes this judiciously by penalizing a Substitute in our place—Christ the Savior. In God’s holy reckoning His righteous Savior, Jesus Christ, has died and He has suffered the penalty of death so that “we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14, cf. Ephesians 1:7). This work of substitution on the cross by Christ is infinity perfect, whereby the sinner who trust in this sacrifice is cleansed of all sin and justified by God for all eternity (Romans 3:24).

As you can see, God never treated sin lightly. However, His forgiveness imposes not one iota of a burden on the sinner, rather, the sinner is forgiven and justified only because the undiminished penalty for sin has been borne by Christ (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18).

Those who dare to preach the Gospel should give to the Cross its true place of vital importance as given to it in the Word of God. How can God utter a more alarming warning on this point than is disclosed in the revelation of the unrevoked anathema upon all who would pervert the Gospel of Grace: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8).

The Believer’s Part in Salvation

I spoke briefly in my previous post concerning grace, but there are much more doctrinal truths you need to learn (Romans 11:30-36). Search out these truths in the Bible (Psalms 119:105). Be attentive to the teachings of the pastor your local fellowship (Ephesians 4:1-16). Hear or read what other godly teachers publish (1 Corinthians 16:10-18). With so great a salvation imparted to those who believe it is imperative that you, the believer, do your part—get prepared to be an evangelist—which is to “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5).

But be careful! There is so much junk out there that you must pray constantly and check everything against what Scripture teaches: pray constantly for illumination (John 16:13) and pray for truth (John 8:31, 32). Above all else keep the Pastors or the other Elders of your fellowship in the loop of all you are learning and teaching, because they—more than any other persons of God—have been put into your lives to raise you up, to oversee your good works (Acts 20:28) and to protect you from false teachers (2 Peter 2:1) and false teaching (2Peter 2:3). God forbid that through pride and misdirection you should yourself become a false teacher (Revelation 22:18, 19)!

Never cease to be in prayer for the unsaved (Colossians 4:3); for yourselves (Philippians 4:6); and for other godly workers (1 Thessalonians 5:25), who have taken up the Gospel proclamation as command of us by our Lord.

Finally, take to heart Paul’s prayer:

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:16-21).

In other words, continuously being filled with the Spirit is key to effective evangelism, because an unbroken reliance upon the Spirit to do what He has come to do and what He alone can do insures that all of the above will fall into place. (Being filled with the Spirit will be the focus of upcoming post).

Get In The Game

I coached high school football for many years in Hawaii; right up to the moment I left Hawaii with my family for Las Vegas. I was what you would consider a strict coach—who placed a heavy emphasis on fundamentals—therefore, I treated everyone of the kids I coached as though they were my own. So much so that on game day I only played the kids who I knew where physically and mentally fit to meet every challenge of competition. No kid who did not meet my expectations ever got in one play on game day, even if we were beating the opponent 50-0. I was, however, neither mean-spirited nor was I punishing them. I was just protecting them from injury and from injuring some other player, because I know from experience that a kid who is ill prepared to play football faces grave danger and is a danger to others.

After each game it was my custom to either congratulate or encourage each and every team member. And I never failed to notice that those who played—those who were dirty, sweaty, bruised and in many instances bloody—were always satisfied, no matter if we won or lost the game. On the other hand, those who never got in the game always seemed discouraged and ashamed and many said to me, they felt as though they were not really a part of the team. I always told these kids, “When you are ready, I will get you in the game.” Not one kid that I coach ever failed to become “ready” because I got them ready to play. And by the end of every season they knew they were a part of a team and not one of them was left who was ashamed or unsatisfied!

God wants to get you in the game! Why? Faith without works is lame, it’s boring, it’s tedious: it is dead (James 2:17)! I cannot count on all of my fingers and toes the people I’ve met who though knowing Christ is their Savior, have given up on ever serving Him. Granted, for a while they busied themselves “going to church” and doing what they felt necessary (Luke 10:40, 41) but they never took the time to “be the Church,” that is, they never realize that they have a specific charge to complete Christ’s unfinished business in the world. And so they lost themselves in various “ministries” for a time until they were burnt out.

But God wants us to be involve in the true ministry—the Gospel ministry—because we are more than mere team members, we are His children: children by adoption and he wants us to be full participants of the family He has brought us into. We are: “A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

As Christians we belonging to His family: Though we are neither a natural child—Christ is the only begotten—nor are we a tolerated but unloved stepchild; we are included in the family as a loved and cherished adopted child (1 John 3:1) with full legal rights to the inheritance of the Father (Colossians 3:23, 24). He wants us to willing take part in the family and to fully understand the work of the family (John 3:16), so that we can fully feel and know that we are in fact part of the family in the knowledge that we as His children have done our Father’s will.

Conclusion

The Apostles teach us that God, through His Word by means of the Holy Spirit, imparts to the sinner the transforming knowledge that Christ Jesus is the Savior. We then come to the understanding that Christ is our Divine lover who died for our sins and rose again to “disarmed the rulers and authorities” that held us in bondage to death. We gain insight into and benefit from the fact that He sits even now at the right-hand of the Father securing our inheritance and mediating for the believer the gift of righteousness, which is our pardon from guilt and acceptance as God’s children. Through this knowledge and benefits of Christ flows the entirety of the Christian life: repentance, communion with God and good works—all this without the impossible task of trying to please God to earn His favor through our own self-effort. This truly is GOODNEWS!

It's The End-Game So Stop Waiting

Introduction

“I cry out to God seeking only his decision, Gabriel stands and confirms, I've created my own prison” (Scott Strapp & Mark Tremoti, “My Own Prison,” Wind-up Records, released August 26, 1997). Truth is truth: or as the wise man said, “He who speaks truth tells what is right.” Paul remains us, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true…if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Proverbs 12:17; Philippians 4:8). And I can think of no other words, than those quoted from the above song, which better expresses the hopelessness of all who exist and eventually die outside of the salvation of my LORD.

While I don’t know if the authors of the song are saved—don’t ever take for granted one’s eternal destiny—what is astonishing is they recognized the utter doom of their current circumstance and are honest enough to admit it is through their own doing. In listening to the song one can sense the dual dread that is always associated with knowing you have offended GOD and you will be judged by GOD. Sadly, because Satan “the god of this world has blinded” most “so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4), many will continue in their current state of eternal ruin and never find escape.

This is an especially sad, even heart wrenching (though true), commentary when you stop to consider that the greatest words ever spoke to humanity are: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Onward Christian Soldiers…

But can anyone ever: “Call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher” (Romans 10:14)?

God has answered all these questions in you; if you are in fact a believer in the salvation offered through Christ. For Jesus commands that we: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation;” “and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [He] commanded [us].” Additionally, Jesus says, “[We are His] witnesses;” and “as the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19, 20; Luke 24:48; John 20:21). Paul confirms this command in his exhortation to Timothy: He says, “Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5).

There is an unfinished ministry of Christ to the world. And it is none other than you, the individual member of the Body of Christ, whom the LORD has delegated this commission: to carry the message of His salvation to all that are lost and in a state of eternal death.

The Almighty Working Of GOD’s Power

Scripture discloses the fact that GOD puts forth more of His power and resources into the salvation of the individual sinner than His power and resources were taxed in the creation of the entire material universe. Not that GOD’s power can ever be limited, but in salvation GOD extremely exerts His almighty power to the extent that He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up as a sacrifice for all. He could do no more.

The word “salvation” carries more than the meaning of saving the unbelieving sinner from the penalty and condemnation of sin. Its extends to the deliverance of believers from the present power of sin and includes a whole series of other great doctrines and revelations—such as election, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, forgiveness, regeneration, imputation, justification, sanctification, perfection and final glorification—in which the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are seen working towards transforming the believer into the heavenly glory of the “image of Christ.”

You should be eager to learn about these doctrinal truths. But for expediency let us focus on grace—the exact meaning of the word grace—and its Divine workings, as revealed in the Bible. This must be crystal clear to every child of GOD, for it is the sine quo non (Google this phase if you don't know what it means) of my LORD’s endeavor to save.

Definition Of Grace

The grace of GOD is both the cause (Acts 4:12) of and the purpose in (Romans 9:23; Ephesians 2:7; 3:8-10; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:10) salvation. Salvation cannot be effectuated in any other way; that is to say, GOD saves because of His grace and His purpose in saving souls is to display His grace. But grace reaches far beyond this in that it indicates the supreme motive, which actuated GOD in the creation, preservation and consummation of the universe: that is, what He did and is doing is for His Glory (Isaiah 43:7).

Nevertheless grace is the boundless goodness and kindness of GOD toward mankind (Titus 3:4). Grace means pure unrecompensed kindness and favor (Romans 6:23). What is done in grace is done graciously—you cannot earn grace and you cannot purchase it—therefore, it is given as a gift that is to be received. From this exact meaning there can be no departure; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

Consider this: GOD created because of His grace. Before time, while in eternity, GOD had full knowledge of the fall—before He created—but so too Christ’s sacrifice “was foreknown [by GOD] before the foundation of the world.” To this end “God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer” and “at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (1 Peter 1:20; Acts 3:8; Romans 5:6). Furthermore, “He chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world…He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself…to the praise of the glory of His grace…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:4-8).

Based on the afore mentioned reasons GOD preserves the creation in grace. In spite of the fall He safeguards creation: “In him all things hold together;” “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” He restrains sin (cf., 2 Thessalonians 2:7) in “kindness and tolerance and patience.” Therefore, He permits sin, because “the kindness of God leads” to repentance. And most of all, for the love of the sinner: “The Lord is…not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (Colossians 1:17; Matthew 5:45; Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).

GOD’s display of His glory in grace will come full circle in this cosmos: “The Lord” comes “like a thief;” then the “heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” “But according to His promise we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:10-13). And this too will exist by His grace.

Understanding GOD’s grace enables the believer to clearly pass on to others, believer and unbeliever alike, His marvelous transforming handiwork (Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15). Insight into its meaning feeds the believer’s life with its inexhaustible riches (Ephesians 1:8), which are limitless (Hebrews 13:20, 21, Ephesians 1:7) since it represents realities of GOD, which are boundless. GOD’s grace proves to all nothing less than His eternal, infinite charity for fallen humanity (1 John 4:7-10).

Fundamentals of Grace

God grace is never withheld because of human failure (Romans 5:19-20). This fact about grace is more evident, perhaps, than any other in that a sinner—when he comes to his senses—knows he can cry out for the kindness and benefits of grace (Romans 3:4). But this is according to GOD’s desire as grace finds its greatest triumph and glory in human helplessness (Matthew 5:3-11).

There is no middle ground (Galatians 2:16)—grace is not ever lessened because of human failure (1 Timothy 1:13-15)—all questions of human failure have been banished as a result of the Cross, thus allowing GOD to righteously and freely exercise grace in every case where salvation is concern. With regard to the unbeliever, GOD’s full and equal exercise of His grace is extended to all (1 John 4:15), because Christ died for “whoever believes.” It never falls short of being the measureless saving grace of GOD (Romans 1:16); it is always the infinite expression of His love. It is ludicrous to assume that mere men can impose limits upon the gracious action of salvation by a righteous and completely sovereign (i.e., answerable to no one) GOD.

Therefore, grace, because it is a gift, cannot be exercised where there is the slightest degree of human merit to be recognized (Romans 11:6). It is Christ, the Lamb of GOD, who has taken away the sin of the world by His Cross, forever disposing the condemnation of sin. By the Cross He creates an entirely new relationship between GOD and man—“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Consequently, men are now either accepting (John 20:31) or rejecting Christ who has borne their sins (John 8:24).

However, GOD does not ignore or slight the fact of human guilt and sin (Colossians 3:5-7); instead, He has met these issues perfectly and finally for all men in the death and resurrection of His Son. By grace there is now offered to all men the infinite resources of the saving power of GOD (1 Corinthians 1:18). However, while grace is exercised in perfect independence of any degree of human sin, a righteous accounting for sin is invariable determined for all who rejects GOD’s sacrifice of the Son and those who come to believe in the Sacrifice will suffer lost for the personal sins committed in their lifetime. However, the salvation of anyone once saved cannot be lost for any reason (John 17:20-26).

The Apostle John reminds us: “not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10); and quotes Jesus as saying, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29).

And speaking to the believer Paul emphasizes the fact that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10.)

Grace must always remain unadulterated in its generosity and benefit (Romans 11:6). There are infinite and eternal transformations wrought by the power of GOD when He exercises His grace and the results are: He is glorified (John 12:28; 13:31; 13:32); and sinners are saved. But by no means does the sinner pay or make the slightest restitution for his salvation and GOD makes no demand for payment. The act of grace is in no sense gracious if under any conditions a debt is incurred by man (John 10:28; Romans 6:23). What GOD has bestowed is a gift and it cannot rightly be called that if it is paid for either before or at the time or long after it is given (Romans 4:2-16).

Finally, grace is never a reward or payment for good works (Romans 9:10-16). There is not the least possibility that a Divine obligation exist toward anyone—God owes no one anything—and this in spite of the fact that some teach that those who are saved are so because GOD “foreknew” the good works they would do. Preposterous! All are sinners both by nature and by practice and the unbeliever would remain in rebellion towards GOD unless He draws them to believe that Jesus is their Savior (2 Thessalonians 2:13). To think that GOD saves because He knows of future good works to be done destroys the definition and all the characteristics of grace (Romans 4:4). But I will not go further into this subject as it is the cause of deep disagreement, sometimes to the point of violence in the Body of Christ; you will need to study the Word and come to your own Spirit-led conclusion.

Conclusion

In summary, the word "grace" represents the uncompromised, unrestricted, unrecompensed, loving favor of GOD toward sinners. It is the limitless, unrestrained love of GOD for the lost acting in full compliance with the exact and unchangeable demands of His own righteousness through the sacrificial death of Christ. It is more than love; it is love set absolutely free to satisfy the righteous judgment of GOD against the condemned sinner.

It is an unearned blessing of His infinite love to all humanity; through the death and resurrection of His Lamb; through whom He offers salvation as a gift; without human obligation or any consideration of human merit. Just believe this and it will be so.

But why, you ask, should anyone believe that a condemned rebel of the Roman Empire is their Savior? It is because this truth is engraved in every human heart: whether Islamist, Hindu-ist, Buddhist, humanist, atheist or any other "ist," this truth is present. Your ministry is not to convince anyone that this is the truth (this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit). Your mission is to tell them this is the truth!

This has been merely a concise explanation of grace, which is the key to salvation, but as it is with the works of Jesus so it is with grace: “If they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). But hopefully, in spite of the limited information given today, your compassion for the lost will take control of your motives in the understanding that there is an unfinished work of Christ in the world that Christians are called to act upon.